Public invited to share ‘vision’ for future use of former Atlas mill property

Moab Times Independent

May 13, 2013 | 3264 views | 0 | 7 | |

Local residents are invited to help create a community vision for the future of the former Atlas uranium mill property during a workshop at the Grand Center, 182 North 500 West, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15.

The workshop marks the beginning of the public input process, managed by Grand County’s Site Futures Committee, according to a news release from the group. The committee is hoping to achieve an initial community vision by the end of the year, which will be periodically updated as needed until the remediation project is completed.

“Even though the site remediation is expected to continue through about 2025 it is not too early to consider possibilities,” committee members stated in the news release. “A community vision for the site could influence who might administer the property, would support annual appeals for adequate remediation funding and would enable [the U.S. Department of Energy] to accommodate future public uses if within their scope.”

There are no guarantees that the site cleanup will finish by 2025 or that DOE will declare it surplus but those are “real possibilities,” committee members said.

The May 15 workshop will include information about the mill site and committee members will be seeking ideas and comments from the public.

Written initial comments on potential site uses should be submitted by May 31 to the Site Futures Committee, C/O UMTRA Liaison, 125 East Center Street, Moab UT 84532.

For more information and an online comment form, visit www.moabtailings.org/sfc.htm.

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